January 21, 2011: Chicks by Mail
After only a couple of weeks in our new home and with a few hours of research done, we ordered 18 chicks and 2 turkeys. I guess I should say - I ordered them. Matt did give his input, thankfully or we would have probably been expecting more in the mail!
I was shocked, first of all, to find out that it takes approximately 21 weeks for a chick to mature to egg laying status. What??? After consulting a few hatchery websites I also realized that many "hatch dates" were already taken and it was going to be about 6 weeks before I could get any shipped to me. At the time I thought that sounded like an eternity. Now I thank God for His protective foresight as I'm no more prepared for the chickens than I was the day I ordered them! Needless to say, I ended up on an overnight chick shopping expedition and didn't even pray about a single detail.
Lesson Learned #1: Consult God before ordering chickens.
January 31, 2011: In A Stew About a Coop
Due to a seasoned chicken-raising friend's advice and my fear that half of them may not make the trip through the mail, I ordered more chickens than I might have originally planned. That is okay. However, the coop that I fell in love with (yes, that's correct) I just realized in made to house 5-8 chickens max and not the 18 that I have coming to my house in a few weeks! Grrr. Unfortunately to house this many chickens I'm going to have to go much much larger on coop size, which will be much costlier too.
Lesson Learned #2: Consider coop square footage necessary and costs involved when ordering chickens.
February 5, 2011: Shopping for My Chick Nursery
Having abandoned the search for coop plans for the moment and realizing that the chicks are due to arrive in a mere two and a half weeks, I set about making a list of necessities for when they arrive.
Brooder box
Heat Source
Bedding (newspaper, straw, pine shavings, etc.)
Waterer
Feeder
Feed!!
Thermometer
And, I note at the bottom of the list: Chicken Boots (hey, if I'm not buying clothes this year, I at least need something to walk through the chicken poo with, right?)
Going to the local feed store, I accomplish the ordering of 2 things on my list- 24" galvanized feeding tray and 2 galvanized circle attachments that convert an inverted quart Mason jar into a feeder/waterer. Cost: $10 and change. Happy with my purchases and feeling like I'm finally on my way in this chicken business, I head to Lowe's to try to complete my shopping!
Lesson Learned #3: (the first one that wasn't learned the hard way!) Read online blogs about setting up brooder boxes. There are lots of cheaper homemade ways to set up feeders and waterers and the box itself than you will find on the feed store websites. After all, they'll only be in the brooder box for 3-6 weeks!
February 11, 2011: Feed Frenzy!
In a bit of a panic because I haven't ordered chicken feed yet- and of course I can't find any organic feed locally. Deadline for ordering feed= tonight! I end up spending a scad on shipping because I don't have a lot of time to research my sources beyond the 3 that I've already read about in past weeks. I figure as long I have organic chick starter, grit, and ground oyster shell (for protein) on hand, I can worry about finding a cheaper source later. Many people I have talked to feed the growing chickens scraps from their garden - some exclusively. Note to self, plant garden. :)
Lesson Learned #4: Research food sources earlier. Check for availability in your area before ordering chickens.
February 12, 2011: Wanted: Fabulous Coop Plan. Stat.
I keep thinking that I'll search through all of these online coop pictures and one will jump out at me and I'll exclaim, "that's the one!" Hasn't happened. As stated earlier- the one I loved isn't going to be large enough. Today I finally broke down and ordered the online PDF file Building a Chicken Coop from www.buildingachickencoop.com. It was definitely worth the $29.95. After reading the 80+ page book that comes with the plans I'm feeling much more prepared for when the chicks arrive. I also have 7 fabulous 4-color plans to choose from or adapt for our use. Matt encourages me to choose one by tonight so we can go get the materials tomorrow.
Lesson Learned #5: You really should buy coop plans instead of winging it!
February 13, 2011: Chicken Scratch-ed?
Very unsuccessful trip to Lowe's. Not only did we not have the plans printed out (alas, the printer is not yet installed at our house) and were relying on the tiny images downloaded to our iPhones, but we didn't read the plans either. You can picture us trying to rush out the door with 2 children under 3, breakfast in a bag in tow, downloading plans onto my phone in utter haste, packing the luggage that accompanies a day trip for our family to Boise (same as 2 regular adults on a 7-day European vacation), and arriving at Lowe's at 12:45pm - lunchtime. Not only are we needing coop supplies, but we have a mega-list for the house as well. When we finally finish the housewares part of it and arrive at the lumberyard, we realize that we have no idea what supplies we need and the plans are suddenly really hard to read in microscopic print and coming across in my brain like Greek, not English. At this point, Matt announces that he really wants to make a workbench before coop construction begins. So, 2 hours after entering Lowe's we leave with two children stuffed with otherwise illegal granola bars (some Lara bar, so that's good), raisins, and dried cranberries (can't wait for those diapers...), a gaping hole in the debit card, workbench supplies, and not a stitch of coopery. That evening, after much discussion, I realize that Matt thinks the whole chicken idea is really crazy, but long story short- he's willing to do it if that's what I want. Of course, I'm not interested in doing something that is going to be loads of work, cause massive tension, and break the bank- especially if I'm the only one that is behind the idea... Many, many relationship and poultry lessons learned today.
Lesson Learned #6: Consult husband before ordering chickens. Two weeks later, consult husband again. Discuss. Discuss again.
Lesson Learned #7: Coop plans are great. They are not shopping list ready however. Always read coop plans before shopping for supplies! (I know you would really think that was a given.)
February 14, 2011: Taking a Time Out
I'm taking the day off to pray about all things chicken.
